Rob Walker and Josh Glenn have a long history of getting writers to share stories about their objects, but when they told me the would be curating an audio collection of stories, and asked if I wanted to collaborate I said absolutely. So here we have it. A ToE/Project Object collaboration: storytellers sharing 100% true tales of objects that for one reason or another they might be reluctant to display in their living room – but that have a personal value or significance that makes them worth keeping, even if squirreled away. Find more stories about illicit objects here.

Lawrence Abu Hamdan is an internationally celebrated artist who works with sound and an internationally recognized expert forensic listener. He likes to call himself a Private Ear. Your host visits Lawrence in Beirut to hear more.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2017/07/private-ear/https://toe.prx.org/?p=946Influencers (part II of II)Wed, 28 Jun 2017 23:57:51 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/P8ZFACXgpS4/
Frankie isn’t a real Media Influencer but the Government saw the 500k followers he bought for his Instagram profile back in the day and arrested him anyway. Now he’s in a Media internment camp. This is PART TWO of a special collaboration with the Truth...15:05Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Frankie isn’t a real Media Influencer but the Government saw the 500k followers he bought for his Instagram profile back in the day and arrested him anyway. Now he’s in a Media internment camp. This is PART TWO of a special collaboration with the Truth podcast. Head over there to get part one. This is our contribution to Radiotopia’s new crossover series. We all investigate Doing Time to mark the arrival of the new Radiotopia Podcast Earhustle.

A special ToE emergency pod: Chris explains the Orb, Andrew dives into the mystery of Twin Peaks and your host tries attempts SpaCasting.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2017/05/emergency/https://toe.prx.org/?p=927ProtestTue, 16 May 2017 15:36:00 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/IZpzOdDen4s/
Direct action saved the gardens in your host’s neighborhood, activist and author L.A. Kauffman explains why it is once again time for more good old fashioned American Radicalism. Plus ToE’s Andrew Callaway maga-ups with the Alt-right on Mayday.27:48Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Direct action saved the gardens in your host’s neighborhood, activist and author L.A. Kauffman explains why it is once again time for more good old fashioned American Radicalism. Plus ToE’s Andrew Callaway maga-ups with the Alt-right on Mayday. Find L.A. Kauffman’s Direct Action book here

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2017/05/protest/https://toe.prx.org/?p=922Droning for DollarsThu, 27 Apr 2017 02:50:48 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/ZBV7SUyrY34/
Can a Self-Droning drone start up save the Trump Presidency? Our special correspondent Chris fills us in on YouFired!14:52Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Can a Self-Droning drone start up save the Trump Presidency? Our special correspondent Chris fills us in on YouFired!

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2017/04/droning-for-dollars/https://toe.prx.org/?p=914Art DistrictsWed, 12 Apr 2017 02:10:00 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/9XRHa1Lzmj0/
Empty buildings, run down neighborhoods and cheap rents. This is the bait you need to attract artists, speculators and urban revitalizers. But in order to attract pioneers you also need illusion and myth. We tour the art districts of New Orleans,29:00Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Empty buildings, run down neighborhoods and cheap rents.
This is the bait you need to attract artists, speculators and urban revitalizers. But in order to attract pioneers you also need illusion and myth. We tour the art districts of New Orleans, Los Angeles and Detroit with writer Peter Moscowitz, activist Maga Miranda, and artist Maya Stovall.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2017/04/art-districts/https://toe.prx.org/?p=9101984 (the year not the book) rMon, 20 Mar 2017 15:40:48 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/TvbfG1r0j8g/
Wrote a short piece on my 1984 “where’s the beef” record collection for Hilobrow’s Political Objects series and thought I would re-up this episode. In 1984 your host was twelve years old and like George Orwell’s protagonist Winston Smith,01:06:08Benjamen Walker & RadiotopiaWrote a short piece on my 1984 “where’s the beef” record collection for Hilobrow’s Political Objects series and thought I would re-up this episode.

In 1984 your host was twelve years old and like George Orwell’s protagonist Winston Smith, he kept a diary, for the citizens of the future. For this special installment of Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything we travel back in time and give this diary a soundtrack. TV commercials, radio spots, movie clips – all sound from 1984 (the year, not the book). Find out what totalitarianism really sounds like.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2017/03/1984-the-year-not-the-book-r/https://toe.prx.org/?p=905Nothing to HideFri, 10 Mar 2017 13:12:10 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/qRKfLG4JjQk/
Potemkin apps, Fake ads, and the return of little pepe the frog. Your host busts out all his best deep state moves for the grand conclusion of our Surveillance miniseries. Plus Finn Brunton pitches AdNauseum and Siva Vaidhyanathan gives us a tour of th...37:20Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Potemkin apps, Fake ads, and the return of little pepe the frog. Your host busts out all his best deep state moves for the grand conclusion of our Surveillance miniseries. Plus Finn Brunton pitches AdNauseum and Siva Vaidhyanathan gives us a tour of the Cryptopticon.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2017/03/nothing-to-hide/https://toe.prx.org/?p=900The Rainbows of InevitabilityThu, 23 Feb 2017 16:31:41 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/SBq1wHvOFW8/
We take a tour of the sprawl with Metahaven to learn about the propaganda of propaganda and we travel beyond the Facebook wall to learn the real truth about targeted advertising. Plus Project Madison Valleywood! 36:08Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

We take a tour of the sprawl with Metahaven to learn about the propaganda of propaganda and we travel beyond the Facebook wall to learn the real truth about targeted advertising. Plus Project Madison Valleywood!

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/11/nolite-te-bastardes-carborundorum/https://toe.prx.org/?p=834TargetedTue, 08 Nov 2016 15:39:54 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/6aqVFgYMlNY/
Your host tries his hand at targeted advertising and he dooms his child to a life of exclusion with the simple gift of a stuffed frog. Plus the truth about Facial Recognition.33:20Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Your host tries his hand at targeted advertising and he dooms his child to a life of exclusion with the simple gift of a stuffed frog. Plus the truth about Facial Recognition.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/11/targeted/https://toe.prx.org/?p=825HoneypotTue, 25 Oct 2016 05:06:37 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/U-EuukP9D-w/
Your host decides to follow back a Joy Division T-shirt that is following him around the internet. Plus the surveillance that powers behaviorally targeted personalized advertising.29:49Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Your host decides to follow back a Joy Division T-shirt that is following him around the internet. Plus the surveillance that powers behaviorally targeted personalized advertising.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/10/honeypot/https://toe.prx.org/?p=819Burning down the PanopticonTue, 11 Oct 2016 19:38:10 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/X5VcX-p23bI/
Our new miniseries on Surveillance begins with your host tripping over the corpse of Jeremy Bentham, the man who gave us the Panopticon.24:33Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Our new miniseries on Surveillance begins with your host tripping over the corpse of Jeremy Bentham, the man who gave us the Panopticon.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/10/burning-down-the-panopticon/https://toe.prx.org/?p=811You are so PretentiousTue, 20 Sep 2016 16:23:54 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/IIdV9uFK3pE/
Writer Dan Fox wants to reclaim the word pretentious. Take it back from those who use it like a stick to beat down the curious and the adventurous.19:00Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Writer Dan Fox wants to reclaim the word pretentious. Take it back from those who use it like a stick to beat down the curious and the adventurous.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/09/you-are-so-pretentious/https://toe.prx.org/?p=804revolutionary slogans will be written by the winnersThu, 25 Aug 2016 21:17:00 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/7gORdPC1zdo/
As the 2016 American presidential election heads into the final round – we are featuring a story your host stumbled upon during the last election in October of 2102. Radio producer Silvain Gire tells us about an impossible encounter between Mitt Romney...14:44Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

As the 2016 American presidential election heads into the final round – we are featuring a story your host stumbled upon during the last election in October of 2102. Radio producer Silvain Gire tells us about an impossible encounter between Mitt Romney and Guy Debord in Paris 1968.

*** Benjamen Walker will join Silvain Gire to talk radio and podcasts at La Maison de Poésie September 11th 2016. details

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/08/pass-r/https://toe.prx.org/?p=793The art of the dealThu, 04 Aug 2016 15:24:21 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/7WsjUFrmc1o/
The secret history of ISIS from ToE’s special corespondent Chris. PLUS Donald Trump is ready for sacrifice.20:50Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

The secret history of ISIS from ToE’s special corespondent Chris. PLUS Donald Trump is ready for sacrifice.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/08/the-art-of-the-deal/https://toe.prx.org/?p=787Something will happen, eventuallyThu, 21 Jul 2016 13:13:44 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/Efxzbs6P29o/
Your host opens his file of near misses and close calls. Joe Mazur examines the math and myth behind the stories we call coincidences. Plus a grasp at the law of truly large numbers.13:05Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Your host opens his file of near misses and close calls. Joe Mazur examines the math and myth behind the stories we call coincidences. Plus a grasp at the law of truly large numbers.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/07/something-will-happen-eventually/https://toe.prx.org/?p=779Because there’s nothing else to doWed, 06 Jul 2016 10:42:05 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/vA_40l_k33E/
Your host wanders London just before and after Britain’s historic vote to leave the European Union.16:52Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Your host wanders London just before and after Britain’s historic vote to leave the European Union.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/07/because-theres-nothing-else-to-do/https://toe.prx.org/?p=769sudculture (part II of II)Tue, 21 Jun 2016 12:41:30 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/paUPLRA2nUE/
Part two of your host’s craft beer drinking adventure. As the battle over shelf space intensifies we meet a couple of brewers who are doing things differently?29:17Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Part two of your host’s craft beer drinking adventure. As the battle over shelf space intensifies we meet a couple of brewers who are doing things differently?

Your host sets out to better understand America’s craft beer scene. The latest food trend? Or oppositional culture? And can it survive the attention from Megabrew?

image: http://www.beercapmaps.com

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/06/sudculture-part-i-of-ii/https://toe.prx.org/?p=756Analog TimeSun, 29 May 2016 19:59:48 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/gd_D70aIJw0/
Your host explores the transition from UFO to Drone on stage as part of Radiotopia Live! and pinpoints the date he crossed his own personal digital divide (Feb 21st 1997). Also filmmaker Alix Lambert tells us about a group of people who are still on An...28:18Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Your host explores the transition from UFO to Drone on stage as part of Radiotopia Live! and pinpoints the date he crossed his own personal digital divide (Feb 21st 1997). Also filmmaker Alix Lambert tells us about a group of people who are still on Analog time.

A version of the prison tape piece ran on 99% invisible. Thanks always to Roman Mars and Katie Mingle. Special thanks to Elyse Blennerhassett who not only introduced us to both Efren and Adolfo but she is also continuing to work with them on a longer term audio diary project that follows their daily life / experiences, and inner worlds. From their fight for innocence to their interactions, dreams, textures, smells, and memories.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/05/756/https://toe.prx.org/?p=749Transformers (r)Fri, 13 May 2016 14:43:39 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/ZGlBMOegpv4/
Yvette Gonzales tells us a first person story about what its like to be transgender in Prison. Gender theorist B. Preciado tells us about what happens when a person takes testosterone without the intention of transitioning from one gender to another.36:38Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Yvette Gonzales tells us a first person story about what its like to be transgender in Prison. Gender theorist B. Preciado tells us about what happens when a person takes testosterone without the intention of transitioning from one gender to another. Plus, Jim Elledge tells us about his biography of Outsider Artist Henry Darger, and why he drew little girls with penises.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/05/transformers-r/https://toe.prx.org/?p=744Platform of the RealThu, 28 Apr 2016 16:44:27 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/bOXr2bGjrfg/
A look at the most revolutionary media format that has ever existed and a trip back to 1968 when video became real. Plus Virtual reality!25:25Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

A look at the most revolutionary media format that has ever existed and a trip back to 1968 when video became real. Plus Virtual reality!

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/04/platform-of-the-real/https://toe.prx.org/?p=739The FutureWed, 13 Apr 2016 02:20:29 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/2IX1cMQ-MJw/
Your host has a chance encounter with the supposed inspiration for a cult TV show that predicted the future of tech and media. Plus the end of Moore’s law?28:19Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Your host has a chance encounter with the supposed inspiration for a cult TV show that predicted the future of tech and media. Plus the end of Moore’s law?

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/04/the-future/https://toe.prx.org/?p=732A light touch and a slight nudgeMon, 28 Mar 2016 18:47:12 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/-_9gYHmjpBU/
Is Donald Trump actually a CIA asset with implants in his small hands or are our brains just wired for paranoia – or both! Rob Brotherton, author of Suspicious Minds, explains how our cognitive biases push us to see Conspiracies everywhere.33:38Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Is Donald Trump actually a CIA asset with implants in his small hands or are our brains just wired for paranoia – or both! Rob Brotherton, author of Suspicious Minds, explains how our cognitive biases push us to see Conspiracies everywhere. Plus a look back to when the CIA weaponized Abstract Expressionism (one of the greatest real Conspiracies of all time).

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/03/a-light-touch-and-a-slight-nudge/https://toe.prx.org/?p=721ParisMon, 07 Mar 2016 18:23:25 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/xzyIG2m7GLI/
Luc Sante takes us on a tour of “The Other Paris” Benoît Peeters shows us Paris of 22nd century and your host learns why there is so much Brooklyn in the 10th arrondissement image by Celeste Lai31:55Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

ToE instaserf Andrew Callaway gets invited to do a TED ALPHA Talk on the sharing economy. Mary Gray (a real sharing economy expert) explains why we are anxious about the future of work and Ignacio Uriarte leaves his cubicle to make post-office art.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2016/01/the-escapers/http://toe.prx.org/?p=70070×7 (Holy War part II of II)Tue, 29 Dec 2015 17:20:04 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/gvstIV8ykRA/
The second half of our sly-fi story about redemption, forgiveness and torture. Margo hopes to leave Christian America with Ali Baba ( a terrorist clone she was given as recompense for the death of her husband).29:26Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
The second half of our sly-fi story about redemption, forgiveness and torture. Margo hopes to leave Christian America with Ali Baba ( a terrorist clone she was given as recompense for the death of her husband). But can they escape before evil Freddie catches wind of their plans? Plus a meditation on the parable of the unforgiving servant.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/12/70x7-holy-war-part-ii-of-ii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=693Alaska Is Closer (Holy War part I of II)Tue, 22 Dec 2015 16:35:36 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/giwnS3yA3L0/
As 2015 winds down we offer you a story about redemption, forgiveness and torture. When Margo’s husband is killed in a terrorist attack, she is given Ali Baba, a terrorist clone. This is how it works in Christian America in this piece of speculative fi...39:22Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

As 2015 winds down we offer you a story about redemption, forgiveness and torture. When Margo’s husband is killed in a terrorist attack, she is given Ali Baba, a terrorist clone. This is how it works in Christian America in this piece of speculative fiction (although we like the term Sly-fi). Will Margo use her new Walmart deluxe torture kit? Or does she have a greater plan? Also your host declares war on God!

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/12/alaska-is-closer-holy-war-part-i-of-ii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=687New York After Rent (post prop f director’s cut)Wed, 25 Nov 2015 06:32:19 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/7t7rQJ3WhJ4/
Now that Airbnb has proved it can beat regulation we return to the post-gentrified city. Two! new segments: we meet a landlord (named Benny) who built an illegal artists space in Bushwick, and we visit Astor Place, the embodiment of the New New York,01:12:05Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Now that Airbnb has proved it can beat regulation we return to the post-gentrified city. Two! new segments: we meet a landlord (named Benny) who built an illegal artists space in Bushwick, and we visit Astor Place, the embodiment of the New New York, with writer Ada Calhoun (Saint Marks is Dead).

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/11/new-york-after-rent-post-prop-f-directors-cut/http://toe.prx.org/?p=679The things we do for moneySat, 31 Oct 2015 01:07:38 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/zU6FDIutu8E/
Allen Ginsberg tries his hand at Market Research, Walter Benjamin goes on the radio and ToE’s Chris drops in on a new bar in DC called the Freedom Cock. Also visit radiotopia.fm and become a sustaining member today! image: Celeste Lai31:34Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Allen Ginsberg tries his hand at Market Research, Walter Benjamin goes on the radio and ToE’s Chris drops in on a new bar in DC called the Freedom Cock. Also visit radiotopia.fm and become a sustaining member today!

image: Celeste Lai

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/10/the-things-we-do-for-money/http://toe.prx.org/?p=671Secret Histories of PodcastingThu, 22 Oct 2015 02:27:53 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/d068AIuFRHY/
It turns out there are (at least) three ways to tell the secret history of podcasting: it is a story about technology, it is a story about a business model for audio, and it is also a story about the birth of a new art form.40:10Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

It turns out there are (at least) three ways to tell the secret history of podcasting: it is a story about technology, it is a story about a business model for audio, and it is also a story about the birth of a new art form. What’s really cool is that the whole thing is sort of a Rashomon narrative – in this special edition to mark the radiotopiaforever campaign your host attempts to tell all three versions using the same people. Visit radiotopia.fm to join the radiotopiaforever campaign.

illustration Celeste Lai

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/10/secret-histories-of-podcasting/http://toe.prx.org/?p=666Enchanting By Numbers (2015 version)Fri, 09 Oct 2015 14:21:21 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/OwF2Q63lkFA/
We take another look at algorithms. Tim Hwang explains how Uber’s algorithms generate phantom cars and marketplace mirages. And we revisit our conversation with Christian Sandvig who, last year asked Facebook users to explain how they imagine the Edger...31:16Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

We take another look at algorithms. Tim Hwang explains how Uber’s algorithms generate phantom cars and marketplace mirages. And we revisit our conversation with Christian Sandvig who, last year asked Facebook users to explain how they imagine the Edgerank algorithm works (this is the algorithm that powers Facebook’s news feed). Sandvig discovered that most of his subjects had no idea there even was an algorithm at work. PlusJames Essinger and Suw Charman-Anderson, tell us about Ada Lovelace, the woman who wrote the first computer program (or as James puts it – Algorithm) in 1843.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/10/enchanting-by-numbers-2015-version/http://toe.prx.org/?p=654ResolutionMon, 07 Sep 2015 16:30:23 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/ozH6mUmsd20/
Your host attempts to write a description for the Podcast. He seeks assistance from an old book, and the plot whisperer. 29:06Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Your host attempts to write a description for the Podcast. He seeks assistance from an old book, and the plot whisperer.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/09/resolution/http://toe.prx.org/?p=642Artifacts (redux)Wed, 12 Aug 2015 14:43:38 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/qUisClc2yrE/
Photographer Robert Burley takes pictures of the end of analog for his book The Disappearance Of Darkness. Christine Frohnert and Christiane Paul explain why it is difficult to care for digital artworks and Social Media theorist Nathan Jurgenson wants ...25:28Benjamen Walker & RadiotopiaPhotographer Robert Burley takes pictures of the end of analog for his book The Disappearance Of Darkness. Christine Frohnert and Christiane Paul explain why it is difficult to care for digital artworks and Social Media theorist Nathan Jurgenson wants us to understand what is truly revolutionary about ephemeral photographs and platforms like Snapchat. Sponsors: Hellofresh.com (offer code: theory )and Souverain.com

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/08/artifacts-redux/http://toe.prx.org/?p=621Instaserfs (III of III)Tue, 07 Jul 2015 20:35:46 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/GwwYcF9CvXk/
“This is part of the sharing economy, I am sharing myself” Our instaserfs series comes to a crushing conclusion, Hear Instapoder Andrew attempt to manserve… Plus we meet two former Uber drivers! Also this Thursday July 9th 3pm EST a live online ToE po...38:53Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

“This is part of the sharing economy, I am sharing myself”

Our instaserfs series comes to a crushing conclusion, Hear Instapoder Andrew attempt to manserve… Plus we meet two former Uber drivers! Also this Thursday July 9th 3pm EST a live online ToE post-listening party. Visit spoken.am for details. Your host will be there, along with Andrew and some of the guests featured in the show, plus Mary Gray a researcher who studies labor and the sharing economy. Special thanks to our new sponsor Zady.com

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/07/instaserfs-iii-of-iii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=614Instaserfs (II of III)Wed, 24 Jun 2015 18:16:11 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/qICDoUS9Gpo/
Instaserfs II: “Chipolte Strikes back” or “Seriously, in the sharing economy no one can hear you work” Either tagline works for our second installment in our future of work series. Andrew (our ToE instapoder) continues with his task of working for as ...33:42Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Instaserfs II: “Chipolte Strikes back” or “Seriously, in the sharing economy no one can hear you work” Either tagline works for our second installment in our future of work series. Andrew (our ToE instapoder) continues with his task of working for as many San Francisco sharing economy companies as he can stand this month. Plus Susie Cagle (cartoonist, journalist, and freelancer) explains why the tech community prefers not to talk about the worker.

Also: In two weeks, after part three of Instaserfs drops, we’re hosting an online discussion party for ToE fans. You can join me, Andrew, and a special guest as we dig deeper into the sharing economy and talk about some of the questions the series raises. For more info on that, go to spoken.am and be sure to sign up, invites are limited.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/06/instaserfs-ii-of-iii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=602Instaserfs (I of III)Wed, 17 Jun 2015 17:02:29 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/w-9Vax6OIKE/
In the sharing economy no one can hear you work. This is because companies like Uber, Lyft, Postmates and others only employ “partners” or independent contractors. So your host decided to partner with Andrew Callaway,38:11Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
In the sharing economy no one can hear you work. This is because companies like Uber, Lyft, Postmates and others only employ “partners” or independent contractors. So your host decided to partner with Andrew Callaway, a 25 year old San Francisco native, to find out what its like to work in the sharing economy. As the official ToE instapoder Andrew will drive, shop, clean, deliver, and serve for a whole month, and he’s going to record his entire experience. Plus in this episode technology journalist Sarah Lacey tells us the truth about Uber.

******Click on the image for the whole story about this installment*******

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/06/instaserfs-i-of-iii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=590Art De Vivre (II of II)Tue, 02 Jun 2015 19:15:41 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/0-6bW4xFkXE/
Benjamen and Mathilde continue exploring the intersection between France and China over wine. In this installment they traverse China talking with winemakers, wine enthusiasts and drinkers to find out what the emerging middle class of China,39:03Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Benjamen and Mathilde continue exploring the intersection between France and China over wine. In this installment they traverse China talking with winemakers, wine enthusiasts and drinkers to find out what the emerging middle class of China, one of the most powerful forces on Earth, wants from a bottle of wine. Plus Your host is forced to defend his working methods and his beliefs in the art of living well.

******Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment*******

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/06/art-de-vivre-ii-of-ii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=582Art De Vivre (I of II)Tue, 26 May 2015 02:59:38 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/RBpxm7e1bzY/
The voice of the ToE episode announcer revealed! (her name is Mathilde) and she joins our host for this two part series about the intersection between France and China and wine. The story of the red obsession of Wealthy Chinese has been told many time...38:12Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

The voice of the ToE episode announcer revealed! (her name is Mathilde) and she joins our host for this two part series about the intersection between France and China and wine. The story of the red obsession of Wealthy Chinese has been told many times, but what is going to happen when China’s elusive emerging middle class gets wine fever? Can wine transmit cultural values? Can it transcend consumerism? In this installment Benjamen and Mathilde traverse France to discover this vino nouvelle vague.

*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/05/art-de-vivre-i-of-ii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=573The Dislike Club (finale/ABC version)Tue, 12 May 2015 04:47:32 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/ajvAPg0Nazs/
In this program (which originally aired on the ABC last December) your host makes his final attempt to build the ultimate anti-social-media-social-platform. Things continue to decline: the phone in the hand becomes the phone on a stick in the hand.39:05Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

In this program (which originally aired on the ABC last December) your host makes his final attempt to build the ultimate anti-social-media-social-platform. Things continue to decline: the phone in the hand becomes the phone on a stick in the hand. And we meet a controversial blogger who overnight becomes one of the internet’s most disliked people. Plus, of course the real dislike club. Thanks to our sponsor http://www.parachutehome.com/theory

**** the DISLIKE CLUB Finale was commissioned by RADIOTONIC from the ABC’s Creative Audio Unit. For best enjoyment listen to the whole six part series, but this installment stands on its own

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/05/the-dislike-club-finaleabc-version/http://toe.prx.org/?p=567New York After Rent (III of III)Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:41:41 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/8Mq9M4A4AP4/
Our series concludes with an attempt to examine the suburbanized commodified inner cityscape of New York. Author and activist Sarah Schulman tells us about the Gentrified Mind, plus we hear from one of the first Airbnbers of New York.24:32Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
Our series concludes with an attempt to examine the suburbanized commodified inner cityscape of New York. Author and activist Sarah Schulman tells us about the Gentrified Mind, plus we hear from one of the first Airbnbers of New York. PLUS a sneak preview of a new rock musical everyone will soon be talking about.

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https://toe.prx.org/2015/04/new-york-after-rent-iii-of-iii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=561New York After Rent (II of III)Wed, 22 Apr 2015 17:10:44 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/2-Z_ApeeeKc/
Our series continues with a journey from Avenue B to Bushwick: Kathy Kirkpatrick tells us about the final days of her Life Cafe in the East Village and essayist Tim Kreider tells us about his exile in Bushwick.33:00Benjamen Walker & RadiotopiaOur series continues with a journey from Avenue B to Bushwick: Kathy Kirkpatrick tells us about the final days of her Life Cafe in the East Village and essayist Tim Kreider tells us about his exile in Bushwick. Plus your host tries to make sense of the first time he got a glimpse of the new New York at a party in late September 2008.

*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/04/new-york-after-rent-ii-of-iii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=551New York After Rent (I of III)Wed, 08 Apr 2015 06:50:38 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/phK5TvL95r0/
The financial crisis of September 2008 overshadows one of the most important events in recent New York History: the arrival of Airbnb. And while your host wasn’t paying attention back then either, today he is fed up with the commodification of every sq...30:46Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

The financial crisis of September 2008 overshadows one of the most important events in recent New York History: the arrival of Airbnb. And while your host wasn’t paying attention back then either, today he is fed up with the commodification of every square inch of the city. But what if the Airbnb economy is also changing the way New York City dreams and makes art? Can it be stopped? Housing Activist Murray Cox gives us a tour of his insideairbnb project, Sociologist Richard Ocejo takes us on a jaunt through Hell Square, and legendary performance artist Penny Arcade shows us around “the big cupcake”.

*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/04/new-york-after-rent-i-of-iii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=545Dark KarmaTue, 17 Mar 2015 01:36:00 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/unR2lT7r_Zo/
“G.S.” was one of the first friends I made when I moved to Bozeman, Montana many years ago. The story he told me about how bad karma brought him from Devon, England to the C.U.T. bomb shelters in Gardiner, Montana still haunts me.37:44Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

“G.S.” was one of the first friends I made when I moved to Bozeman, Montana many years ago. The story he told me about how bad karma brought him from Devon, England to the C.U.T. bomb shelters in Gardiner, Montana still haunts me. A few years ago we reconnected and he recounted the whole story for me. Also Astronomer Chris Impey explains how Dark Energy will end it all.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/03/dark-karma/http://toe.prx.org/?p=539Radio WIFMMon, 02 Mar 2015 20:38:05 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/OSrrJa947dg/
Decades before the first shot was fired in the American revolution a band of runaway slaves known as the Maroons living in the mountains in Colonial Jamaica took on the British Empire and won. I’ve long been obsessed with the Maroons and so last summe...22:14Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Decades before the first shot was fired in the American revolution a band of runaway slaves known as the Maroons living in the mountains in Colonial Jamaica took on the British Empire and won. I’ve long been obsessed with the Maroons and so last summer I jumped at the opportunity to visit their compound in Charlestown for the annual celebration of their 1739 victory. I learned the Maroons hope to play a leading role today as Jamaica moves down the path of Marijuana decriminalization and legalization, but some of the folks I met claim the Maroons are still listening to Radio What’s Innit Fo Me?

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/03/radio-wifm/http://toe.prx.org/?p=518An IlluminationTue, 27 Jan 2015 00:12:39 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/NmzoL8FH6z8/
Cédric Villani won the prestigious Fields Medal for his work in 2010. He wrote a book about his experience called Birth of a Theorem: A Mathematical Adventure. It is a book about where ideas come from. There is something spider like about Villani,21:14Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Cédric Villani won the prestigious Fields Medal for his work in 2010. He wrote a book about his experience called Birth of a Theorem: A Mathematical Adventure. It is a book about where ideas come from. There is something spider like about Villani, and I say that not just because of the pins he is famous for always wearing. He knows how to catch ideas, and he wants to teach us how as well. We also talk with Maria Popova about another great Science book: The art of Scientific Investigation. I found this book thanks to the idea catching web that Maria Popova built: brainpickings.org.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2015/01/an-illumination/http://toe.prx.org/?p=510Occupy Siberia (dislike club prequel)Mon, 29 Dec 2014 21:47:44 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/q4p1o13lmfY/
Yours truly is recuperating from 2014 in France but wishing you a happy holiday. Hope you enjoyed the programming this year. The dislike club series pretty much contains everything I have ever wanted to say about social media.58:38Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Yours truly is recuperating from 2014 in France but wishing you a happy holiday. Hope you enjoyed the programming this year. The dislike club series pretty much contains everything I have ever wanted to say about social media. Been thinking about all this stuff for quite some time now, but it all started to crystalize when I got invited to Russia three years ago. I made a show about that trip for my old radio program “too much information” (it used to run on WFMU). I updated it a bit and offer it here, as the ToE 2014 holiday special – or the dislike club prequel.

***ALERT*** heard from a bunch of you now that you can’t find the DISLIKE CLUB Finale. Just search for this word: RADIOTONIC and you will find a radio show called Radiotonic from the ABC’s Creative Audio Unit. They commissioned the finale. Download it here. Or subscribe to their podcast. Look for the Dec 21st episode called the Dislike Club – that is part VI (the finale).

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/12/occupy-siberia-dislike-club-prequel/http://toe.prx.org/?p=504Logical Fantasies (the dislike club part V)Mon, 22 Dec 2014 18:19:06 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/2vwwGrEWOYw/
In the penultimate episode of our series, Kathy Sierra tells us how one tweak could fix everything and ToE’s Chris tells us the secret origin of Facebook. PLUS #marksbros (as in Zuckerberg) #marxhegel (as in Groucho) ***ALERT*** the DISLIKE CLUB Final...25:57Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

In the penultimate episode of our series, Kathy Sierra tells us how one tweak could fix everything and ToE’s Chris tells us the secret origin of Facebook. PLUS #marksbros (as in Zuckerberg) #marxhegel (as in Groucho)

***ALERT*** the DISLIKE CLUB Finale was commissioned by RADIOTONIC from the ABC’s Creative Audio Unit. Download it here. Or subscribe to their podcast. Look for the Dec 21st episode called the Dislike Club – that is part VI (the finale).

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/12/logical-fantasies-the-dislike-club-part-v/http://toe.prx.org/?p=498Wishful Thinking (the dislike club part IV)Tue, 09 Dec 2014 02:06:30 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/-s0QnNsfm18/
In 2007 writer, programmer, and horse trainer Kathy Sierra quit the internet because of misogynist hate trolling. She stayed off the social web for 7 years but last year she came back to see what Twitter was like.29:08Benjamen Walker & RadiotopiaIn 2007 writer, programmer, and horse trainer Kathy Sierra quit the internet because of misogynist hate trolling. She stayed off the social web for 7 years but last year she came back to see what Twitter was like. She tells us why she only lasted a few weeks and her theory about why so many women are targets online. Plus Danielle Keats Citron explains how we could use the law to drain the cesspool.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/12/wishful-thinking-the-dislike-club-part-iv/http://toe.prx.org/?p=488If you dislike like, then you will… (the dislike club part III)Wed, 03 Dec 2014 19:11:43 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/e1HsNAr1T1s/
This week Anthropologist Gabriella Coleman tells us about the internet's original Dislike Club, Anonymous.25:56Benjamen Walker & RadiotopiaThis week Anthropologist Gabriella Coleman tells us about the internet’s original Dislike Club, Anonymous. Biella has spent the last eight years hanging out with Anons both on IRC and in IRL. Her new book “Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: the many faces of Anonymous” is the definitive book on the topic, nothing else comes close. Biella also gets me to watch V for Vendetta, something I have refused to do out of my fanboy respect for writer Alan Moore (who refused to watch it or put his name on the movie). I wish I could un-see it already. Also: Commodify your dislike!

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/12/if-you-dislike-like-than-you-will-the-dislike-club-part-iii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=483Paying For It (the dislike club part II)Tue, 25 Nov 2014 07:17:32 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/eopgvvKJFB8/
Our mini-series about the internet continues. This week we take a close look at the fundamental business model of the web – advertising. In 1993 your host was a founding member of an international monkey wrench gang that fought billboards in outer spa...29:13Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Our mini-series about the internet continues. This week we take a close look at the fundamental business model of the web – advertising. In 1993 your host was a founding member of an international monkey wrench gang that fought billboards in outer space. He recently ran into one of his old comrades in Midtown-South (Manhattan’s tech district) and discovered that his side actually lost the war. Ethan Zuckerman, the man who invented the pop up ad, admits that we must rethink the fundamentals of the web, and activist, writer, and filmmaker Astra Taylor questions whether the internet actually benefits independent creators.

The Dislike Club is a story-in-progress, it will play out on the podcast over the next few weeks and then culminate December 21 on Radiotonic, from ABC RN’s Creative Audio Unit.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/11/paying-for-it-the-dislike-club-part-ii/http://toe.prx.org/?p=476Backspace to the Future (the dislike club part I)Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:10:13 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/2DHTOzZpbAA/
Paul Ford is a technologist and a writer, sometimes these two things blur. For example, he’s currently working on a book about webpages, but he’s also building a content management system for webpages – because you know it could help with the writing....24:27Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Paul Ford is a technologist and a writer, sometimes these two things blur. For example, he’s currently working on a book about webpages, but he’s also building a content management system for webpages – because you know it could help with the writing. (yeah his book is late) Its not like he’s trying to procrastinate, this is just what life is like when you are Paul Ford. A couple of Monday night’s ago he was sitting on his couch drinking some rye whisky and chatting with his friends on twitter and he accidentally a brand new webpage community. This is the true origin story of his tilde.club. Yours truly also started a new thing it is called dislike.club. We also check in with Librarian and community manager Jessamyn West for advice on how to start an online community that doesn’t suck.

The Dislike Club is a story-in-progress, it will play out on the podcast over the next few weeks and then culminate December 21 on Radiotonic, from ABC RN’s Creative Audio Unit.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/11/backspace-to-the-future-the-dislike-club-part-i/http://toe.prx.org/?p=470Making it HappenTue, 04 Nov 2014 17:20:14 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/1A6tNzvTHZU/
For this special installment of the Theory of Everything we explore Maker Culture. Makerbot co-founder Bre Pettis gives us a tour of his new venture: Bold Machines. Plus we go to China to learn what the next generation of Chinese makers have planned fo...22:31Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
For this special installment of the Theory of Everything we explore Maker Culture. Makerbot co-founder Bre Pettis gives us a tour of his new venture: Bold Machines. Plus we go to China to learn what the next generation of Chinese makers have planned for the future.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/11/making-it-happen/http://toe.prx.org/?p=446Enchanting By NumbersMon, 06 Oct 2014 19:41:04 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/FeQ1jPQnS3M/
When I was in Beijing last summer I dropped by the Microsoft research campus to talk with Dr. Yu Zheng. He studies the air pollution in his city, and the noise pollution in mine. Using algorithms he is able to predict what kinds of noises New Yorkers ...27:25Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

When I was in Beijing last summer I dropped by the Microsoft research campus to talk with Dr. Yu Zheng. He studies the air pollution in his city, and the noise pollution in mine. Using algorithms he is able to predict what kinds of noises New Yorkers are most likely to hear in their neighborhoods, take a look at his Citynoise map. His algorithms could one day help city planners curb air pollution and noise or as Christian Sandvig notes they could be used by the GPS apps on our mobile devices to keep us from walking through neighborhoods perceived to have loud people hanging around outside.

Christian Sandvig studies algorithms which is hard to do, most companies like Facebook and Google don’t make their algorithms public. In a recent study he asked Facebook users to explain how they imagine the Edgerank algorithm works (this is the algorithm that powers Facebook’s news feed). Sandvig discovered that most of his subjects had no idea there even was an algorithm at work. When they learned the truth, it was like a moment out of the Matrix. But none of the participants remained angry for long. Six months later they mostly reported satisfaction with the algorithms that determine what the can and can’t see. Sandvig finds this problematic, because our needs and desires often don’t match with the needs and desires of the companies who build the algorithms.

“Ada’s Algorithm” is the title of James Essinger’s new book. It tells the remarkable story about Ada Lovelace the woman who wrote the first computer program (or as James puts it – Algorithm) in 1843. He believes Ada’s insights came from her “poetical” scientific brain. Suw Charman-Anderson, the founder of Ada Lovelace day, tells us more about this remarkable woman.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/10/enchanted-by-numbers/http://toe.prx.org/?p=438It will always be hardTue, 16 Sep 2014 18:44:59 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/U0Seo91kIHo/
When the photographer Garry Winogrand died in 1984 he left behind hundreds of thousands of unpublished negatives and undeveloped rolls of film and a few out of print books that are still treasured by connoisseurs and photo book collectors today.30:11Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

When the photographer Garry Winogrand died in 1984 he left behind hundreds of thousands of unpublished negatives and undeveloped rolls of film and a few out of print books that are still treasured by connoisseurs and photo book collectors today. It’s always bothered Leo Rubinfien that his friend Garry’s legacy is bound up with these hard to find books, for leo a much better way to appreciate the genius of Garry Winogrand is through his slideshows. Recently Leo Rubinfien got an opportunity to show the world the Garry Winogrand he knew and loved, SFMOMA invited him to guest curate a Winogrand show. The exhibit took years to put together, and at the outset SFMOMA’s assistant curator of photography Erin O’toole was nervous, but she tells us why she is now in the cult of Winogrand too. While your host was in Australia this summer he met up with one of his new favorite artists, the cartoonist Simon Hanselmann. Simon is one of the most compelling voices of his generation, but while his characters are all sex, drugs, and rock and roll Simon just works. Also we reminisce about the early days of the web with ToE regular Peter Choyce who believes he had one of the first ten blogs. Three reminders that being an artist will always be hard.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/09/it-will-always-be-hard/http://toe.prx.org/?p=421Man Without a Country (3 of 3)Fri, 08 Aug 2014 11:55:16 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/Nses2TREWxE/
What happens when you curse your own country? In this version of the classic Americana tale your host is sentenced to live out the rest of his days in a hot air balloon. Our story concludes(?) when your host attempts to turn bread into wine.33:58Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

What happens when you curse your own country? In this version of the classic Americana tale your host is sentenced to live out the rest of his days in a hot air balloon. Our story concludes(?) when your host attempts to turn bread into wine. Plus learn about the origins of the tale of the Man without a Country and the various versions that have been produced over the last hundred years.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/08/man-without-a-country-3-of-3/http://toe.prx.org/?p=417Man Without a Country (2 of 3)Fri, 08 Aug 2014 11:54:55 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/2L17ozvvuGk/
What happens when you curse your own country? In this version of the classic Americana tale your host is sentenced to live out the rest of his days in a hot air balloon. In part two of the story your host has his first human interaction in ten years.46:22Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

What happens when you curse your own country? In this version of the classic Americana tale your host is sentenced to live out the rest of his days in a hot air balloon. In part two of the story your host has his first human interaction in ten years. Plus radio host Glynn Washington tells us what it was like to grow up black in a white-supremacist Christian cult.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/08/man-without-a-country-2-of-3/http://toe.prx.org/?p=414Man Without a Country (1 of 3)Fri, 08 Aug 2014 11:54:32 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/NnQMCiEC7Dg/
What happens when you curse your own country? In this version of the classic Americana tale your host is sentenced to live out the rest of his days in a hot air balloon. In part one we hear the story of what happened when he fought the “three strikes ...32:59Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

What happens when you curse your own country? In this version of the classic Americana tale your host is sentenced to live out the rest of his days in a hot air balloon. In part one we hear the story of what happened when he fought the “three strikes you are out forever” law and lost. Plus Howard Zinn on the myth of American Exceptionalism.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/08/man-without-a-country-1-of-3/http://toe.prx.org/?p=407Recent, Relevant, RandomFri, 25 Jul 2014 15:55:28 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/HTnQWJAkMxs/
We don’t have metrics to measure what happens when we read something that changes our life. So this episode is an attempt to deal with that. We begin with writer Rob Walker who tells us about his “New Old Thing,22:05Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
We don’t have metrics to measure what happens when we read something that changes our life. So this episode is an attempt to deal with that. We begin with writer Rob Walker who tells us about his “New Old Thing,” a regular feature he produces for Yahoo Tech. Rob is one of the most thoughtful writers I know and if anyone can wean us from our addiction to the now it will be him. I also get to talk to one of my heros this week: Edwin Frank who is the editor in chief of the NYRB classics imprint. About 10 years ago I read a collection of Platonov stories, a book that definitely changed my life, and I became a life-long devotee of the series. I have always wanted to ask Edwin about his editorial sensibilities and what exactly binds all the books with the well designed multi-coloured spines together. Phyllis Rose is the author of The Shelf. She “randomly” chose a shelf at the library near her house and read every book on it – then she wrote about the experience. It is a deep funny philosophical treatise on the act of reading itself. I will be gifting this book to my friends for years.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/07/recent-relevant-random/http://toe.prx.org/?p=400Guided By VoicesMon, 30 Jun 2014 05:14:56 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/j516wCqbhAo/
Pythagoras, Kant and Kepler all tried to record the harmonies of the universe, your host goes for the voice in his head.34:32Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
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Philosopher Daniel Heller-Roazen tells us the story of Pythagoras and the fifth hammer and how Kant and Kepler both tried (and failed) to record the universal harmonies Pythagoras once heard. Your host sets out to make some money doing experimental medical testing, and gets the chance to record the voice in his head.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/06/guided-by-voices/http://toe.prx.org/?p=391Stages on Life’s WayFri, 13 Jun 2014 18:03:33 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/sT7L1USCa2Q/
Your host visits Copenhagen for a Kierkegaard pilgramage, A photographer tells us about the modern Bachelorette party and a retired hospice nurse shares his thoughts about life’s final stage.36:14Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
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A few years ago your host took a pilgrimage to Copenhagen to walk the streets the great Dane Søren Kierkegaard once walked. He wanted to understand the meaning of Kierkegaard’s religious stage so he decided to ask the experts at the Kierkegaard research center. Also Photographer Dina Litovksy tells us about the history and some of the secrets of the modern bachelorette party. And Michael Holmes tells us about life’s final stage – death.

*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********

This week we examine the legacy of The Work of Art in the Age of Technological Reproducibility by Walter Benjamin. Media Theorist and Benjamin scholar (and translator) Thomas Levin explains why this essay resonates today and what Benjamin has to tell us about the utopian power of new media. Also Russell Meyer tells us about the Wu-Tang clan’s plan to release a sole copy of their new album and why he has turned to Kickstarter so he can buy it and release it to the world. And your host shares an imaginary story about Hitler and Goebbels encountering Benjamin’s essay during their final days in the bunker.

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]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/05/a-better-tomorrow/http://toe.prx.org/?p=367The BootlickersFri, 25 Apr 2014 22:15:07 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/qFRaHZTKLXs/
This week we see what we can get with a little bootlicking.27:36Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
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Andrew Rubin opens up his Archives of Authority to tell us the story of how George Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984 became global phenomenons. Melissa Gira Grant tells us about her new book Playing the Whore and the complicated relationship between sex workers, Feminists, Journalists, and the Police. And your host turns to ToE correspondent Peter Choyce for advice on how to fight his bike ticket in traffic court.*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/04/the-bootlickers/http://toe.prx.org/?p=3481984 (the year not the book)Fri, 04 Apr 2014 18:29:22 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/mxjIbS1xSNQ/
In 1984 your host was twelve years old and like George Orwell’s protagonist Winston Smith, he kept a diary for the citizens of the future. Find out what totalitarianism really sounds like.54:50Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

In 1984 your host was twelve years old and like George Orwell’s protagonist Winston Smith, he kept a diary, for the citizens of the future. For this special installment of Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything we travel back in time and give this diary a soundtrack. TV commercials, radio spots, movie clips – all sound from 1984 (the year, not the book). Find out what totalitarianism really sounds like.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/04/1984-the-year-not-the-book/http://toe.prx.org/?p=319Prêt-à-PortableMon, 24 Mar 2014 15:42:25 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/AJUQKKEv-T8/
This week we try on the idea of the wearable. Hear from Haight Crime victim Sarah Slocum, Digital Prophet Shingy and Hack Day mania!33:05Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
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Technology consultant Sarah Slocum loves social media and her Google Glass, she wears them everywhere. But when she walked into Molotov’s, a bar on Haight Street in San Francisco, she discovered that not everyone shares her love for wearable gadgets. Also, your host makes his annual pilgrimage to SXSWi and ends up designing wearables at a surreal Hack Day. We also hear from Shingy, AOL’s Digital Prophet. He says wearables will allow us to have it both ways: we can be both digital and human. **This episode features elements that were recorded binaurally. If you listen with a pair of headphones or a LiveAudio enabled JAMBOX, you will experience three dimensional sound – it will be like you are there.**

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]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/03/pret-a-portable/http://toe.prx.org/?p=305When You’re Lonely, Life is Very LongMon, 03 Mar 2014 06:08:54 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/58T7Y2ebvVs/
After moving to New York alone, writer Olivia Laing discovered the truth about loneliness. She says it is a gift. Eric Klinenberg explains why more and more people are choosing to live alone and why cities like New York must invest in housing stock th...29:26Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
Eric Klinenberg says more and more people are choosing to live alone and that cities like New York must invest in housing stock that single people not only can afford but actually want to live in, the type of housing they have in Scandinavian countries. He is a sociologist at New York University and the author of Going Solo, a book about the extraordinary rise and surprising appeal of living alone.

In Denmark when someone dies alone, and no-one claims the body, the authorities put an ad in the newspaper calling for Possible Relatives. This is also the title of a photo-book by Danish photographer Tina Enghoff. She took pictures of some of these apartments after the bodies were removed, often the bodies go undiscovered for weeks. My friend Pejk Malinovski, who is also a Dane (and a radio producer) met up with Tina on a recent trip home to Copenhagen.]]>

After moving to New York alone, writer Olivia Laing discovered the truth about loneliness. She says it is a gift. Eric Klinenberg explains why more and more people are choosing to live alone and why cities like New York must invest in housing stock that singletons actually want to live in, the type of housing they have in Scandinavian countries. In Denmark when someone dies alone, and no-one claims the body, the authorities put an ad in the newspaper calling for Possible Relatives. This is also the title of a photo-book by Danish photographer Tina Enghoff. She tells us about the pictures she took of the apartments after the dead were removed. Some of these bodies went undiscovered for months.

*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/03/when-youre-lonely-life-is-very-long/http://toe.prx.org/?p=288F is for FakeTue, 11 Feb 2014 23:14:24 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/aibOGqo4f_w/
To Bot or Not? That’s the big question for Data Scientist Gilad Lotan. His research suggests we may be damaging our online reputations if we choose not to play the fake follower game. Jason Q Ng, author of the book Blocked on Weibo,26:49Benjamen Walker & RadiotopiaTo Bot or Not? That’s the big question for Data Scientist Gilad Lotan. His research suggests we may be damaging our online reputations if we choose not to play the fake follower game. Jason Q Ng, author of the book Blocked on Weibo, tells us why the Chinese government hates fake bots and why they targeted Black PR companies last summer. And your host imagines a future were humans are forced to shower their new Bot Overlords with unwavering attention.*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/02/f-is-for-fake/http://toe.prx.org/?p=266Artifacts (2 of 2)Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:48:06 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/Y0BHwGLU0ks/
The Truth about Ephemeral images and what comes After Photography + preserving the transition from Analog to Digital.22:44Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia

Social Media theorist Nathan Jurgenson wants us to understand what is truly revolutionary about ephemeral photographs and platforms like Snapchat, Fred Ritchin says we are going to get our minds blown “After Photography” and Finn Bruntun explains why we need to preserve our transition from Analog to Digital.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2014/01/artifacts-2-of-2/http://toe.prx.org/?p=256Artifacts (1 of 2)Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:08:42 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/bzGoDfzuP6U/
The end of Analog, the challenges of Digital Conservation and the truth about Edward Snowden and Snapchat25:31Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
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Photographer Robert Burley takes pictures of the end of analog for his book The Disappearance Of Darkness. Christine Frohnert explains how conservators must care for Art with a Plug. Curator Christiane Paul tells us how the Whitney Museum of American Art restored the digital artwork “the world’s first collaborative sentence” by Douglas Davis. And TOE’s Washington D.C. corespondent ‘Chris’ tells us the truth about Edward Snowden and Snapchat.

*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2013/12/artifacts/http://toe.prx.org/?p=249Not Soon EnoughWed, 11 Dec 2013 16:39:14 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/PpNr_Wl5p3o/
This week your host tries to break through to the other side using the art of John Singer Sargent as a… jumping off point. Also we get an update from our corespondent Peter Choyce. When we last heard from Peter (in “admissions of defeat”) he was headin...23:51Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
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This week your host tries to break through to the other side using the art of John Singer Sargent as a… jumping off point. Also we get an update from our corespondent Peter Choyce. When we last heard from Peter (in “admissions of defeat”) he was heading to rehab, he is now free and living in the woods in North Carolina.

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2013/12/not-soon-enough/http://toe.prx.org/?p=219Waiting In LineWed, 23 Oct 2013 04:05:11 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/23T5HoRCIhA/
About a year ago I travelled across America. I visited Airports, Amusement parks, Highways and Community Colleges in order to understand how the priority queue is changing the American experience of waiting in line.25:59Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
The priority queue is something totally different.
In the priority queue some people get to wait less than others. Most often, because they pay more.
Americans do have a deep rooted belief in the market, and since priority queues can generate revenue it’s no surprise that they are turning up in the public sector as well.
But are traditional American values like fairness and equal opportunity really compatible with letting someone buy their way to the front of the line? And what happens when the people who pay more want more? America is already suffering from extreme polarization, is it really a good idea to mess around with systems that further divide citizens into haves and have nots?]]>

About a year ago I travelled across America for the BBC. I visited Airports, Amusement parks, Highways and Community Colleges in order to understand how the priority queue is changing the American experience of waiting in line. A version of this piece aired on the BBC World Service, part of their “Real America” series produced in conjunction with PRX.

*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2013/10/waiting-in-line/http://toe.prx.org/?p=211Out Of The OfficeMon, 14 Oct 2013 17:58:47 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/O6giMylrcl0/
Is there life outside of the office? This week we learn about Office Art and Remote Work. Plus a new TOE correspondent.26:52Benjamen Walker & RadiotopiaProgrammer David Heinemeier Hansson tells us about his Out Of Office experience, David is a partner at 37signals and a co-author (with Jason Fried) of REMOTE: Office Not Required. We also meet Ignacio Uriarte, he left his cubicle for a career in Office Art. And Ravenna Koenig, TOE’s newest correspondent, explains the difference between Facebook-Work & Work-Work.

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]]>https://toe.prx.org/2013/10/out-of-the-office/http://toe.prx.org/?p=184Admissions Of DefeatThu, 03 Oct 2013 14:46:24 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/v3hgkBI1c-Y/
We check in with a few of our TOE regulars Peter and Chris and your host goes to @psychic for a look into the Crystal Phablet30:33Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
We check in with a few of our TOE regulars: Peter Choyce has is one of my oldest friends and a listener favorite, but he has a secret we’ve never addressed until now. We also check in with our D.C. correspondent “Chris” who tells us about the NSA’s desire to install backdoors in Podcasts. Also, I tell you the story about what happens when I wander into @psychic for a late night reading. PLUS: a few extracts from ‘Brand New World’

*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2013/10/admissions-of-defeat/http://toe.prx.org/?p=160HackedTue, 11 Jun 2013 05:33:45 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/NZE5kV5BId4/
Gabriella Coleman tells us about her time among the Hackers, "Chris" makes his TOE debut with the truth about the alleged Chinese hacking of the NYT, and your host ponders hiring a hacker to break into George RR Martin's computer.28:54Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
The highlight of this week's installment is a conversation about hackers with Anthropologist Gabriella Coleman. She's in the news all the time now when hackers make headlines and she's done some of my favorite work on Anonymous and Internet culture.
Gabriella Coleman began her academic career in the Bay Area, researching the Free Software movement. This research is the basis of her book Coding Freedom: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Hacking.
Gabriella showed up on the scene, just around the time the Free Software movement was rebranding itself as "Open Source." It turns out that there are too many meanings of the word free in the English language: free beer... free speech... But when the government started using the DMCA to crack down on coding, Hackers bonded together around a very specific definition of the word.
This installment marks the first appearance of someone I have been recording for years: my friend "Chris" He is always up to something amazing, but I am always suspicious that he may be pulling my ear-leg. This time he gives us the "truth" about the alleged hack of the New York Times by the Chinese.
Also, your host wonders if it might be possible to hire a hacker to break into George RR Martin's computer so that he can read the rest of the Game of Thrones story without having to wait 10 years like everyone else.]]>
Anthropologist Gabriella Coleman tells us about her book Coding Freedom and the time she spent among the Hackers, “Chris” makes his TOE debut with a story about the alleged hacking of the New York Times by the Chinese, and your host wonders if it might be possible to hire a hacker to break into George RR Martin’s computer so that he can read the rest of the Game of Thrones story without having to wait 10 years like everyone else.**********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment********]]>https://toe.prx.org/2013/06/hacked/http://toe.prx.org/?p=100Red, White, Blue & OrangeTue, 14 May 2013 04:05:05 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/_WfcvcndjO4/
A torture expert records an imaginary criterion commentary track for the torture scenes in Zero Dark Thirty. We learn about Umarov Muhibullah, one of the first innocent men to be released from Guantanamo. And your host ponders why Guantanamo is still o...40:02Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
There is no factual evidence that connects any intelligence gleaned from torture with the successful operation that took out Osama Bin Laden but this movie uses the magic of Hollywood to cement the two together forever. Recently I decided to watch these torture scenes with Joshua Phillips, a journalist who spent years researching the effects of torture on detainees and interrogators. He is the author of None of Us Were Like this Before: American Soldiers and Torture. At Joshua's apartment we recorded a torture commentary track for our imaginary Criterion edition of the film.
We will probably never learn the truth about how we found Osama Bin Laden. But there is one thing I know for certain. We didn’t get the information from Umarov Muhibullah.
Journalist McKenzie Funk ran into Umarov, one of the first men to be released from Guantanamo, while hiking in Tajikistan. Umarov told Mackenzie that the US held him for two years before letting him go. He was never told why we had been detained nor was he compensated in any fashion. This was a scoop, but Mackenzie was young and he couldn’t get any major media interested in the story. It did run in Mother Jones. In 2010 Wikileaks released a number of Guantanamo related files, including documents that attested to the innocence of Umarov and others.
Mackenzie and I put this story together two years ago. The week US forces killed Osama Bin Laden. For a brief second I thought this might be when we come to our senses and close Guantanamo once and for all. But it is still open. Today 100 inamates are on hunger strike. I believe they have finally learned the truth about Guantanamo: it will never close.]]>
A torture expert records an imaginary criterion commentary track for the torture scenes in Zero Dark Thirty. We learn about Umarov Muhibullah, one of the first innocent men to be released from Guantanamo. And your host ponders why Guantanamo is still open.

**********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2013/05/toe-04-red-white-blue-orange/http://toe.prx.org/?p=54The Clouds (part 3 of 3)Mon, 06 May 2013 13:00:31 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/T4ziiYJZyis/
Our series concludes with some revelations. Metahaven uses the story of Wikileaks to show us the infrastructure of the cloud and its super-jurisdictional powers. The BBC’s Paul Mason takes us on a wild tour of China in his novel Rare Earth.23:10Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
I got the chance to meet Metahaven (Daniel Van Der Velden and Vinca Kruk) when they were in NYC this winter for a show at MoMA PS. They have been studying the connections between the digital and the material for years in their museum shows, design work and collaborative projects.
I spoke with them about their essay “Captives of the Clouds” serialized in the journal e-flux.. They use the story of Wikileaks to expose the infrastructure of the cloud. I now believe November 30th, 2010 just might be the actual birthday of the cloud, a day almost in the middle of our Bieber timeline (from episode one)
The BBC's Paul Mason has done some serious reporting on Rare Earth but he told me that on the last night of a trip he made in late 2009 he realized he would have a much easier time getting the story right in a novel. I read a lot about Rare Earth for this radio series and this novel was by far the most enlightening (and the most fun).
On my last night in China I met up with an old friend who used to run a Chinese blog business. In 2007 he came through New York and told me he was determined to do something tangible, something more real. Now he uses the cloud to power his very successful online mail order business that connects customers with Chinese factories. He takes me to a bar (very much like one described in Paul Mason's novel) where I finally get some... clarity? All thanks to a pile of iPhones.]]>
Our series concludes with some revelations. Metahaven uses the story of Wikileaks to show us the infrastructure of the cloud and its super-jurisdictional powers. The BBC’s Paul Mason takes us on a wild tour of China in his novel Rare Earth. And a pile of iPhones brings your host a moment of clarity.

*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2013/05/toe-03-the-clouds-part-three/http://toe.prx.org/?p=40The Clouds (part 2 of 3)Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:44:00 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/7DBQzDkRW54/
We continue our journey to the center of the cloud, by way of the earth: Rare Earth. China controls 95% of the market for the 17 Rare Earth elements that power our invisible technologies so your host decides to pay a visit to the Ganzhou region,29:40Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
Dr. Alex King leads the Critical Materials Institite in Ames Iowa, he says that if I could get inside a Cloud Data Center I would find the Neodymium, a Rare Earth Element, in most of the custom hard drives. And companies like Amazon he says, now use wind turbines packed with giant Neodymium magnets to power and cool these hard drives.
There are 17 Rare Earth Elements. They are crucial for the production of electric cars, medical devices, drones, and clouds.
When I learned that 95% of the World's Supply of Rare Earth comes from China I decided to go there. I wanted to see a Rare Earth Mine with my own eyes.]]>
We continue our journey to the center of the cloud, by way of the earth: Rare Earth. China controls 95% of the market for the 17 Rare Earth elements that power our invisible technologies so your host decides to pay a visit to the Ganzhou region, to see the illegal mines in the with his own eyes.

********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment********

]]>https://toe.prx.org/2013/04/toe-02-the-clouds-part-two/https://toe.prx.org/?p=20The Clouds (part 1 of 3)Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:38:07 -0000http://feeds.prx.org/~r/TOE/~3/cq4PTPGJJpk/
Twitter employee #7 tells us what happened when Justin Bieber joined twitter in 2009. An Amazon Data scientist, explains how the cloud is changing our relationship with technology, Obama’s CTO explains why the cloud is awesome + we tour Parse,24:49Benjamen Walker & Radiotopia
We start off with Britt Selvitelle (Twitter employee #7). He tells us what happened when Justin Bieber joined Twitter in 2009 and how everything had changed by the time the Bieb joined Instagram in 2011. What makes these two stories different is that the popular photo sharing application instagram built its platform using Amazon Web Services, the cloud. Matt Wood, Amazon’s principal data scientist, explains how individuals and businesses are using the cloud and how it is changing our relationship with technology.
Amazon officially launched its product in 2006, but at some date in between these two events, the cloud comes into its own. The exact date doesn't actually matter - what's important is that most of us, including technologists like Britt Selvitelle, didn't even notice.
Harper Reed, was the CTO for Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, and he is one of the smartest technologists I know.
He tells me how the campaign used Amazon Web Services and why Cloud infrastructure is awesome.
I recently saw a Cloud Ad on the subway. It wasn't an Ad for Amazon but one of their competitors, it was kind of like the one above. It was a picture of a man climbing up a mountain with his bare hands, this man didn't have a shirt on, and you could tell he worked out at an expensive gym, perhaps with a personal trainer. There was an ipad or a tablet tucked into the back of his shorts, apparently he was so good at climbing - he didn't have to worry about it falling out. In the sky written in big white fluffy letters was a sentence that read: Experience the mobility and freedom of working in the cloud. There is a lot of Hype about the cloud, the recruitment Ads for cloud companies are just as nutty as the cloud product Ads.
I went to San Francisco to talk to someone who works in the Cloud. I found Charity Majors
Charity works at Parse. Parse is a Back-end-as-a-Service company.
But as hard as I tried, I could not get into the cloud itself.]]>
Twitter employee #7 tells us what happened when Justin Bieber joined twitter in 2009. An Amazon Data scientist, explains how the cloud is changing our relationship with technology, Obama’s CTO Harper Reed explains why the cloud is awesome + we tour Parse, a hot hot hot (BaaS). But can your host get inside the cloud?

*********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********